Media devices, such as a set top box, a stereo, a television, a computer system, a game system, or the like, are often configured to receive media content for presentation to a user viewing and listening to one or more media presentation devices. For example, a set top box (STB) may receive a media content event, such as a movie. After processing, the STB communicates the movie to a television and/or receiver system for presentation to the user.
Various media content provider systems employ a broadcast-based medium which broadcasts, from a single source, media content to many media devices. For example, a satellite-based media content provider system uplinks media content to a plurality of satellites. The satellites then broadcast the media content down many earth-based antennas which receive the satellite signals. The received satellite signals are processed and communicated to a STB that is communicatively coupled to the antenna. The STB further processes the received satellite signal to generate a signal corresponding to the media content event that is sent to the media presentation devices.
However, the user of a media device receiving the broadcasted media content is limited to selecting only the currently available broadcast media content. Even though hundreds of channels of different media content may be available, the user may wish to view a media content event that is not being currently broadcast. For example, the user may wish to view a particular movie that is not currently being broadcasted.
Some STBs are provisioned with a digital video recorder (DVR) that is configured to store a plurality of media content events using a large memory capacity storage medium. In some instances, where the user is aware of a scheduled future broadcast time of the particular media content event of interest, the user may configure their STB to automatically save the particular media content event of interest when it is broadcasted over the media content provider system and is received at the STB.
In other instances, the media content provider may select one or more media content events of interest which the media content provider believes will likely be of interest to the user. The selected media content events of interest are broadcast to the STB and are automatically saved into the DVR. In some instances, the broadcasting occurs over a secure channel that is not user accessible, and/or is broadcast during off peak usage times, such as late at night. If the user wishes to view one or more of these pre-stored media content events, then the pre-stored media content events are immediately accessible from the STB DVR. Typically, such pre-stored media content events are premium programs or movies available on a pay-per-view basis. Thus, the user must make arrangements with the media content provider to obtain authorization to access the pre-stored media content events of interest.
In yet another instance, the STB may have a backchannel connection that provides a communication link back to a remote media content access device. Once the user has made arrangements with the media content provider for authorized access to a particular media content event of interest, the selected media content event of interest is communicated from the remote media content access device to the STB via the established communication link. An example backchannel is an Internet connection which is configured to connect the STB to the Internet. The media content access device may be an internet site or the like. Accordingly, the selected media content event of interest is sent from the media content access device to the STB via the Internet.
However, media content events of interest may be very data intensive, particularly if the selected media content event of interest is provided in a high definition (HD) format. Due to the amount of data of the selected media content event of interest, due to other traffic over the Internet, and due to other transfer capacity limitations, the selected media content event of interest may not be able to be communicated from the remote media content access device to a particular STB in real time. That is, the user may have to wait some duration for communication of the selected media content event of interest, or for communication of at least a substantial initial portion of the selected media content event of interest, before the user may begin to view the selected media content event of interest. In view of this delay, the user may opt to forgo selecting the particular media content event of interest, and instead, choose to view an immediately available (and likely cost free) different media content event of interest.
Accordingly, there is a need in the arts to provide systems and methods that are more effective in providing media content events of interest to a user in a timely manner.